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Boutros M. Boutros

As the Dubai-based Emirates continues its trajectory toward becoming the world’s largest airline by 2020, the brand expands through sponsorships unrelated to air travel. Boutros M. Boutros, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for the fifty companies under the Emirates umbrella, explains that Emirates’ originally sought television exposure for the airline through sports sponsorships, but they realized they were selling Dubai as a player in its own right. Says Boutros, “We are a commercial, international entity with headquarters in Dubai. Emirates is now positioned as a truly global airline. We like to believe we facilitate interaction between people and that is what reflects Dubai.”

Boutros began his career as a journalist and PR executive before joining Emirates in 1991. Emirates supports FIFA soccer, U.S. Open Tennis, and the PGA Ryder Cup, among others. They sponsor film festivals, exhibitions, and orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony. Boutros believes that “Emirates is a flying image of Dubai.”